Other spending this month..................
- Polly cat had a trip to the vet for the same problem as January - a mystery allergy or something that makes her clean herself too much so that her back legs go a bit bald - the treatment like last time was a steroid injection.
- The wet weather on the first weekend of November put off a trip to a local firework night with son and family but that left me with a bit extra to spend on our own first ever 'extravaganza' here. There are some rockets left for Christmas ...maybe or next year.
- Food for me, (including a bit extra spent on the Locally Produced bits) and the cat, things for making gifts for the two hampers.
- The usual Direct debits
- Started getting vouchers that the grown up children want for Christmas. Finished buying for Niece, Nephews and Grandchildren.
- I bought the rolls of willow fencing stuff that Rob-next-door-but-one has now fixed up on the posts to fill up the gaps and make a sheltered spot under the Turkey Oak.
- Had a hair trim instead of a wet cut as it hadn't grown very much - saved a few pound.
- Topped up the heating oil with 500 litres. Enough in there now for a few months.
- The ride-on mower was taken away, serviced, cleaned and generally sorted. Now right ready for next year
- A big spend on a TV aerial and a new bigger TV-wot-does-things! will be fitted in next week. I'm getting myself up to date at last.
A man at a car boot a few weeks ago had a huge box full of Christmas tree baubles etc for 10p each. Some new but most used, and I sorted through and got these for £1. Red and Gold for the Christmas tree this year I think. I hope the tree hasn't disintegrated any more after another year in boxes and bags in the cupboard. I'll be doing it early as the Surrey family are visiting Early December rather than at Christmas.
The only income was the usual County Council spouses pension, repayments from loans to family and bits of interest from savings, so savings were dipped into again......but still enough left to last me until state pension time in 2021 ............perhaps Labour will get into power and mysteriously find some money to pay us 1950s women what we've missed out on by goalposts moving ......... a few years of back paid state pension would be a nice chunk of money, but I think that's very unlikely.
Any Frugal bits?
I won a raffle prize (giant chocolate Kit Kat ) at WI and will wrap it up and use it for the raffle at the village over 60's Christmas lunch.
Still eating my own potatoes and frozen peppers plus leeks from the garden.
Made a batch of pastry cases to put in freezer ready for quiches or flans over Christmas etc.
Using bread-maker
Local and cheap apples from boot sale early in the month
Still catching the cold water before it gets hot enough for dish-washing.
Hung washing out to half dry and then finished off in front of the fire in the evenings.
Finding half a tub of bird-feed fat balls for £1 at the table top saved me needing to send for bird feed this month.
STILL CLEARING OUT
The old rotovator from the workshop was bought and taken by the man who collected the mower for it's service.
Big bag of books to charity shop.
Cracked pudding basin and dented cake tin -out into bins
Nothing to do with anything else but it's always a surprise to look out of the bedroom window and see people, normally it's just wide open fields.
Thanks to everyone for comments yesterday
Have a good weekend - I'm going to Coffee, Cakes and Carols at chapel. meeting a fellow blogger and must start Christmas stuff ready for the Surrey family visiting next weekend.
Sue
I keep my wrapping paper in a coal scuttle. But its not terribly efficient and has a rather small neck, so there are some rolls lurking elsewhere in danger of being forgotten. I've succumbed to a long IKEA bag (with a zip) which will slide under the bed so I can corral all my wrapping into one place.
ReplyDeleteI had to read that twice.........in a coal scuttle??
DeleteI too am a WASPI. I get we are living longer but I have worked all my life and got no notice that I was going to be 66 not 60 when I got my pension. I know there are people worse off than me and I am sorry for that and do my bit. However had I even had 12 months notice I could have made some changes which would have helped. Keep going I love reading your blog and thank you
ReplyDeleteI daren't say too much as I stopped work on birth of Eldest and didn't pay NI again until I was self employed at campsite/smallholding so will only get very basic pension.
DeleteI enjoy writing the blog and your lovely comment makes it worthwhile....thank you
I'll be 67 and have worked full time in excess of 45 years by the time I retire and also paid a child minder for my two children for 14 years out of my own salary with no free nursery hours or tax relief. I'd have done things very differently if I'd have been informed a lot sooner. I'm with you alicesavand feel I have been thoroughly stitched up!
ReplyDeleteIt is so very unfair for everyone who was working all through the years.
DeleteWe always hoped that moving and doing up houses would make up for my lack of pension and that's how it has worked out
Sounds good.
ReplyDeleteDo not understand anything about older living, in your country, so it's not clear to me. But it doesn't have to be.
🎄 😊 🎄
The age at which women got their state pension was always 60 until it was suddenly changed to 65 and then 66, women who were working got no time to pay in extra money towards their pensions so in effect lost out on 5 or 6 years money.
DeleteI am just staggered at your organisation Sue.
ReplyDeleteI have to be organised or I'd not feel right!
DeleteI hope this 50's women's pension business gets reversed as I am still able to work but work cannot be found in my area now until next tourist season. I sure understand as do so many. I will be 67 before I am in receipt if it isn't reversed.
ReplyDeleteThat's the issue for many people isn't it. They are unable to find work in their 50s and 60s and so many have to claim benefits or live on their savings until they run out and then claim benefits.
DeleteI am spending all our savings right now and keeping fingers crossed that I will eventually get my state pension at age 66. In the meantime I'll just keep drinking the bubbles.
ReplyDeleteTwo references to "coffee and cake"! Watch it, Sue! You have got to make it to 67! Roderick
ReplyDeleteHow interesting to see the pheasant shoot. We would have to be way out in the country to see anything like that.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
We have shoots half a mile away most Saturdays. I've got use to the pop,pop, pop in the air. I to am a WASPI and will get mine 2022. I still have a small deficit to bring it up to the full amount of £166.52 a week because my employer The Govt' paid a reduced contribution because I was paying into a private pension. So I've been suckered twice!!
ReplyDeleteExactly the same thing happened in Australia! Born 1956 so I will get a pension when I'm 66 and 6 months. No childcare when my we're young so I worked shift work and just went without sleep! Then spent years caring for family members and now find I volunteer 15 hours a week and the government pays me the equivalent of the most basic unemployment benefits,which technically is below the poverty line. But my husband has the basic pension and we own our own home, so despite his poor health( due to a problem he was born with) and frugal living I feel blessed compared to some who just can't seem to manage.ps we are in Australia.
ReplyDelete